Last Thursday, two of Roanoke Cooperative’s (RC) 1st Class Line Technicians, Cameron Salmon and Joshua White, joined forces with 25 skilled lineworkers from electric cooperatives all over North Carolina to showcase their lifesaving and rescue abilities. They faced the clock and their fellow lineworkers in a competition known as the 2023 Pole Top Rescue, held at Nash Community College. Cameron took on the pole top rescue challenge, while Joshua demonstrated his skills in the bucket rescue scenario.
Marshall Cherry, RC CEO, emphasized the importance of these unsung heroes, saying, "Behind every service call, there's a lineworker who has undergone rigorous training. This competition puts to the test the safety and rescue skills that are crucial for our lineworkers to keep the electricity flowing to the homes of our cooperative members."
During the competition, each lineworker, including Cameron, had to perform a rescue scenario that involved retrieving an unconscious co-worker from the top of a utility pole. Clad in full climbing gear, weighing up to 20 pounds, they were judged on their speed and proficiency in radioing for assistance, scaling a towering 20-foot utility pole, lowering a weighted mannequin, and initiating CPR.
To make it to the state competition, each of the 25 competitors had previously outshone their peers in similar rescue events at their local electric cooperatives. At the statewide competition this year, Cameron finished the task in an impressive two minutes and 48.6 seconds.
"Every lineworker hopes they never have to use these rescue techniques," Cameron remarked. "That's precisely why this competition is so crucial." Joshua added, "It provides an excellent opportunity to refine our rescue and safety skills, ensuring that if a fellow lineworker ever needs our help, we can perform the rescue quickly, proficiently, and most importantly, successfully."
North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives hosted this biennial competition, with their training and safety team serving as judges. All North Carolina electric cooperative lineworkers must complete this scenario within five minutes to maintain their certification for working on cooperative power lines. These heroes ensure the lights stay on and the community stays connected.
“Rescue training not only helps save lives,” said Jimmy Liverman, VP of Engineering and Operations, “but it also promotes compliance with safety regulations, efficient operations, and the overall well-being of the workforce. Safety is at the heart of all we do.”
